Vatican releases pope’s schedule for Fatima visit

Pope Francis touches a statue of Our Lady of Fatima after praying in front of it during his general audience in 2015 in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, Pope Francis will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima May 12-13. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

By Junno Arocho Estves, Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Celebrating the 100th anniversary of apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, Pope Francis will lead the evening recitation of rosary and celebrate Mass on the anniversary at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima when he visits Portugal May 12-13.

The pope will make the two-day pilgrimage to the site where Mary appeared to three shepherd children May 13, 1917. The apparitions continued once a month until Oct. 13, 1917, and later were declared worthy of belief by the Catholic Church.

During his visit, the pope also will meet with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and have lunch with the bishops of Portugal.

Pope Francis will be the fourth pontiff to visit the Marian shrine, following in the footsteps of Blessed Paul VI, St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, who each made visits on a May 13 to mark the anniversary of the first apparition.

Here is the schedule for the pope’s trip to Fatima as released by the Vatican March 20. All times are local, with Eastern Daylight Time in parentheses:

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